Television series
Dinosaur Train
- Action
- Light-hearted
- Dip in and out
Dinosaur Train is a gleeful CGI adventure for preschoolers where Buddy, a young T-Rex adopted by Pteranodons, travels through prehistory on a magical train meeting dinosaurs of every kind. It's educational without feeling like a lesson, bursting with curiosity and wonder. Perfect for children who ask a hundred questions about everything.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you want a preschool show that treats curiosity as the main event, with gentle science facts about real dinosaurs threaded through simple, cheerful adventures a small child can follow.
Skip it if you are hoping for a story with stakes, a growing arc or grown-up wit; each episode is a self-contained outing built for toddlers, and adults may find the repetition wearing fast.
What it asks of you: Each episode runs about twenty-two minutes and moves at a patient, unhurried pace, with bright colours, a lot of repetition and very little tension, so it asks for a young viewer's attention rather than your own.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Bluey2018
A modern masterpiece about a family of dogs navigating childhood with humor, heart, and genuine warmth. Every episode feels like watching someone who loves kids create the show they wished existed.
But Some parents find it almost unbearably relatable, which means you'll recognize your own parenting failures onscreen.
Octonauts2010
An underwater adventure series with the same spirit of exploration and meeting fascinating creatures. The production design is stunning, the science is genuine, and it captures that sense of discovery that makes Dinosaur Train special.
But It's ensemble-focused rather than character-driven, so the emotional beats aren't quite as strong.
Craig of the Creek2018
Adventure and friendship in a natural world full of discovery. The animation is warm, the humor works for adults too, and it understands what makes exploration magical.
But It's set in the present day, so you lose that prehistoric sense of wonder and the learning angle.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Dinosaur Train
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Sarah & Duck2013
Both feature a main character driven by curious friendliness traveling through a world full of peculiar beings, but where Dinosaur Train teaches, Sarah & Duck embraces pure strangeness.
A stop-motion series with a girl and her very tall duck solving quirky problems in a whimsical world. The same gentle curiosity driving Dinosaur Train, but in an alien landscape of strange characters and impossible logic. Deeply peculiar and deeply comforting.
But The humor is absurdist and dreamlike—there's no laugh track, and jokes sometimes have no punchline. It's weird for weird's sake.
More like this (3)
Puffin Rock2015
A nature-focused series narrated by Chris O'Dowd, following two puffins exploring their island home. Warm, funny, and genuinely curious about the natural world. Each episode feels like a gentle adventure.
But The animation is deliberately simple and sketchy, which might feel cheap if you're used to CGI polish.
Elinor Wonders Why2020
A science-focused adventure series where a curious girl investigates questions about how the world works. Well-structured lessons embedded in genuine storytelling, with real field science feel.
But The science occasionally feels like it's the plot rather than emerging naturally from it.
Trash Truck2020
A gentle series about a boy and his friendship with a trash truck driver. Surprisingly warm and genuinely interested in small moments and how things work. Perfect for wind-down time.
But The premise sounds odd and the pacing is very slow—there's barely a plot, just moments of kindness.
People
Cast
Writing
- Craig BartlettCreator
- Joe PurdyStory Editor
Production
- Brian HensonExecutive Producer
- Craig BartlettExecutive Producer
- Halle StanfordExecutive Producer
- Lisa HensonExecutive Producer
- Sue Bea MontgomeryProducer
Recommended by
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, Dino Ranch, Elinor Wonders Why, Curious George, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, LazyTown, The Magic School Bus Rides Again, Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor